


Meet Her at the Bar

by Apricots_from_Nara



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Implied Character Death, Sad with a Happy Ending, Synthesis Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 20:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11471496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apricots_from_Nara/pseuds/Apricots_from_Nara
Summary: Garrus, so much older now, finds himself in the hospital. And in his room, a familiar long gone face. Is she the hallucination of an ailing turian, or is she a little more then that?





	Meet Her at the Bar

**Author's Note:**

> First part is in Liara's pov, the rest is Garrus'

Liara gently touched the petals of the flowers, their vibrant colors standing out with the white of the hospital walls. She smiled in a strained way. She was worried for Garrus. Not but five years before, Jeff had died. and many years before that, Zaeed and Dr. Chakwas.

She was not looking forward to the possibility Garrus would soon be gone too.

“You didn’t have to come you know.” Garrus said, voice raspy with age, “Doctors said I will be fine. Just a fall.”

“Garrus, you can’t hide anything from me. I’m still the shadow broker after all.” Liara smoothed her dress as she sat, smiling at him, genuinely now.

“Ah... right. Little Miss nosy.”

“I’m not a miss.”

“I look older then you, so you are a miss.” Garrus picked at his blankets, mandibles twitching, “I’m not gonna be living independently.”

“I know.” Liara said softly, looking at his other hand, curled up like a claw and tucked into his side.

“Elevated to a higher plain of existence. The knowledge of thousands of races at our finger tips, but no cure for a stroke.” Garrus laughed, “Just my luck.”

“There are treatments.” Liara stated but Garrus laughed again, cutting her off.

“I’m over a hundred. I don’t think i’m young enough to be able to handle physical therapy. Even with all the new tech making us live longer.” Garrus’s mandibles flaired in a turian grin, “But at least i can still talk. What would this world be like with out my wit?”

“Quiet.” Liara said, chuckling.

“How is Javik?” Garrus changed the subject quickly, “Is he still not smiling even after being bonded to you for so long?”

“He’s well, and smiling when he wants to. The girls are both getting restless in their maiden stage. He keeps telling me to let them go out and “shoot things”.”

“And you told him what?”

“That if they want to explore they can do it on an expedition.” Liara stated, wrinkling her nose.

Garrus laughed, but he trailed off and looked off to the side. He spoke a moment later.

“Are you spiritual, Liara?”

“What and odd question.” Liara adjusted her self in her seat. “No. I always loved our legends, and godesses but... I never paid them much mind. Javik also ruined what little i had when we.... When Thessia...”

“Yeah...” Garrus said quickly, “Yeah I know.”

“Why do you ask?”

Garrus was looking back at the side, over towards an empty chair. His youngest daughter had been in it a while before. His eyes were glassy and his mandibles quivering.

“It’s nothing.”

\-------

Liara bid him good bye. Promising to relay good wishes from the others as soon as she could. Not a hard act. She could find anyone with her connections.

Garrus picked at the blanket again, the beeping of the monitors seeming so loud.

He looked back at the chair he had been distracted by earlier

“So... are you a ghost, an angel, or are you a hallucination caused by my stroke?”

“Hey now, is that anyway to talk to your commander?”

Garrus’s mandibles flexed closer to his face. Lillian Shepard sat in the chair. Just as lovely as he had remembered on that last shore leave. The dress, necklace, and heeled sandals. Red hair just so, freckles on her cheeks.

She leaned forward, and sat with her legs apart. She had never figured out how to sit in her dresses. No mater what Kasumi had tried it never stuck.

... He had forgotten she did that... How could he have forgotten that? 

“Either way, Its not bad to be seeing me yeah?” Shepard smirked, “If i’m a ghost, it means I’ve always been there for you. An angel... I got lonely at the bar and i’m here for you. Hallucination... Well you were always crazy.”

Garrus laughed. “Crazy? Me?”

“You followed me yeah? Believed me?” Shepard was suddenly sitting on his bed. he could smell her. Baby powder shampoo and the vague smell of the oil she used to maintain her shotgun. He could even feel her on his bed. 

It was a very good hallucination if thats what it was.

“That is a little crazy I suppose.” Garrus gripped his sheets tight, “Spirits Shepard.... I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” She moved closer and her hand took his, the one ruined by his stroke. He could feel her hand even though his own had lost all feeling. She smiled at him. “Look at you. Still so handsome.”

“I’m old.

“I can deal with that.” Shepard said nonchalantly, “And I love the rasp in your voice. Very nice.”

“Mr. Vakarian?”

Garrus jumped and looked away as the Batarian nurse came in. “Who are you speaking to? Visiting hours are over. Its time for sleep.”

“I... “ Garrus looked back and Shepard was gone, “No one was here. Just an old turian chatting to himself.”

“Alright then. Off to bed. Do you need any help?”

“A lift to the toilet if you don’t mind. I’ll be dead before I use a bed pan.”

\------

Garrus lay on his side, monitor still beeping. It was quiet and lonely. He looked around a little, turning his head a bit difficult now. After a moment he spoke.

“Shepard? Are you there?” He would embrace what ever this was. He had looked up strokes on the extranet after his doctor had told him and his family. Hallucinations were often only temporary.

She was there slowly. In time he felt his bed shift, and soon she was up curled against his back, just like how it was all those many years ago.

“A Batarian nurse.... Times have changed.” Shepard said softly, “Glad to see things are doing good.”

The way she talked gave him some comfort. She seemed well aware of what was going on. Like a real person.

“There is no such thing as real peace but yeah... Things are better. You should see Palaven. You can hardly tell it had a reaper infestation.” He looked to his hand, soft glowing lines just barely visible through his armored skin. When he had been young, it had been invisible. But in his old age, came thinner skin.

Shepard shifted. An arm around his middle. She held him tight. “I’m glad. I’m glad it was the right choice.”

Garrus closed his eyes. What a strange thing to say, he thought, just before sleeping.

\----

The next day was spent in a community room of sorts. Other turians, and a quarian or two all like him mingling. Garrus looked out side in his wheelchair, A reaper slowly walking along off in the distance, past the skyscrapers. He had always ignored them as best he could, but their existence seemed to be brought back to him.

There was no Shepard in sight. Probably for the better. Or else he would of ended up looking crazy, talking with no one.

“Garrus!”

Garrus, still not able to turn his head to the right (damned stroke) used the controls on his wheelchair to turn himself. Tali approached him, still spry for one as old as herself, the Geth AI in her suit a key factor for such a feat. Quarians still did not live as long as humans or turians, but the Geth were certainly helping them.

She sank to her knees and took his hand. “Garrus, Liara called me and all your children. I came as soon as I could.”

“I certainly hope the others will be just as eager to see me.” Garrus laughed, and Tali scoffed.

“You are the backbone of this merry group. Of course they will come to see you.”

“Even Wrex? How many kids does he have now?”

“Yes even him. You are the only turian he likes after all.” Tali got up and pulled up a chair, and began to chat and chat.

Garrus finally got a word in. “I need to tell you something Tali.”

“Yes, I’m listening Garrus.” Tali was all focus now, leaning in.

“I... I saw her.”

Tali’s white eyes widened slightly. The way he said her, he knew she got what he meant. “You saw...” She became hushed, “Like, the light at the end of the tunnel? I hear humans have that when they almost die.”

“One, I’m not human, and two, I didn’t almost die. it was a stroke and the damage was not even that terrible” Garrus said, “And no... She was there. In my room. We spoke.”

“Garrus....”

“I know. I know. I’m pretty sure its just some damage manifesting as an hallucination. So just.... Let me have this.”

Tali nodded, smiling and holding his good hand tight. She soon changed the subject to one of her grandchildren, and Garrus was once again left to just listen to her talk.

\-----

One by one the others came, or sent him gifts. Kaiden sent him a bottle of wine, and Miranda came in briefly to see him and give him a book. Jack had called him and told him to “get the fuck better”. Edi had come too, hugging him and telling him jokes she had been working on.

She had decided to try and become a comedian. 

“Jeff would of wanted me to.” she said.

The weeks went by and soon everyone had managed a visit. Even Wrex stopped by to give him a plant from Tuchanka, sprouted by Eve.

He soon had many gifts and many recorded voice calls. He had not told anyone else he had seen Shepard. They didn’t need to know. Tali’s concern had been enough to put him off it.

Shepard had not appeared since that night, when she had said she had been glad her choice was right. He still didn’t understand, but he put that thought behind him, instead doing as his children wished, beginning physical therapy.

He still felt he was too old, but he guessed just getting his hand working again would be fine.

He woke with a start, coughing. He could not seem to catch his breath, and he could hear his own heart racing. he looked around and then a hand was on his cheek.

“Garrus.” 

He relaxed a little, though he still felt like he could not catch his breath. “Shepard...”

“Shhh.” he could see her face now, she smiled at him. “Miss me?”

“Y... yeah.” he felt rather light headed.

“Its gonna be okay Garrus.” Shepard pet his face, “I’m here.”

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his, he got a whiff of the baby powder shampoo again. Despite what he was feeling, he felt very very calm. “I thought you... left again.”

“I’ve never left Garrus. I’ve always been here.” She pet his fringe, “I’ve been there, inspiring you, every step of the way, since that day, over Earth.”

It was true. Ever since he lost her, she had become his spirit. The one to push him, and the galaxy forward. Garrus’s eyes closed.

When he opened them again, he was on his two feet. He felt quite good. Spry even. he looked around, finding his head could turn.

He was no where he recognized at first. But soon he remembered it. The Silversun Strip on the citadel. He had not been there in years... In fact the strip itself had been been closed down ever since the Citadel had been overtaken. The old station had recovered yes but, nothing had quite been as it had.

He found himself going o the old Silver Coast casino, and that life in the bed, his children, the reapers... it all seemed like a day dream.

This seamed like a dream. he could hardly focus on one thing. All he needed to do right now, was get to the bar

He made his way past many people. He past a Drell couple, one male and one female. The male... So familiar. A Salarian was singing loudly and an old human man was begging him to “shut the goddam hell up”.

“Hey Garrus. I got a joke for you!”

Garrus finally focused on the patrons, the world suddenly seeming real again, and was met with Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau.

“How do you know a Turian ran out of ammo?” Jeff said, smiling, and looking no older then those days on the Normandy.

Maybe it had only been a dream...

“Because he switches to the stick up his ass as a back up.” Garrus said, his voice surprising him. It was so... smooth.

“Ah damn, I hoped you would forget that one.” Jeff said, pouting, “I’ll have to think of new ones. I hear EDI is coming up with new stuff. Glad she’s doing okay.”

“Doing...” Garrus suddenly got lost yet again in the need to keep moving, the world became less focused, and more like the dream it had been.

“Shepard Commander is that way.” a Geth of all things pointing towards the bar. He spared it and an older gentleman in military uniform a glance, this odd dream like place making it hard for him to pinpoint how he knew them.

He leaned on the bar. Looking down it one way. he swore he saw Ashely Williams at the other end talking with a young man with ears that were a bit big and an older woman.

But she was left on Virmire... Right?

“Hi there handsome, come here often?”

He turned to the other end, and there she was. Shepard. The world seemed to become real again. Music loud in his ears.

His mandibles quivered then flared in a grin. “Nah. First time.” 

“I’ve been waiting for what seems like years. My boyfriend loves to make a girl wait, you know?” Shepard sat down, smirking at him, “Think you could keep me entertained till he meets me here?”

Garrus reached up and touched her face, warm in his palm. He leaned in, forehead to her’s like that first night long long ago.

“I think he already has.”

**Author's Note:**

> Garrus died of a pulmonary embolism. Its pretty common in stroke victims who loose the ability to walk,


End file.
